There’s a lot more than meets the eye where Crystal Palace’s plans to increase the capacity of Selhurst Park are concerned, as the project team have explained.

Holding a private viewing at the stadium on Thursday, January 18, members of each division of the project team discussed the issues that have been raised by the £100million investment plans.

One consideration that has been hot on the lips of fans and residents is whether the concept of increasing the Main Stand’s capacity by 8,000 and giving it a modern look will be accepted by Croydon Council.

Luke Raistrick, a director at Martin Robeson Planning Practice, the company dealing with the planning aspect of the project, said: “Talks with the council have been positive so far. They have a strong policy on the development of the club and the ground as they know it can only be a good thing for the borough.

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“They are supportive because they know the effect it will have on the economy. Increasing the attendance will create another 700 jobs in itself.”

However, some fans are worried that by building a bigger stand Selhurst Park might lose its legendary atmosphere, something many people attribute the club’s success towards.

KSS Design Group's Luke Ritchie, one of the lead architects for project, said: “One of the main concerns people have approached us about is the atmosphere and the noise.

Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson pose for a photo in front of the model of the redeveloped Selhurst Park

“This is why we’ve gone with the inward sloping roof like we did at Anfield [KSS also redeveloped one of Anfield’s stands].

“This and the fact we will be boxing off the corners will help to keep the atmosphere and retain the noise in the stadium.”

A query the council have raised concerns the transport issues surrounding increasing the capacity of the stadium from 25,500 to 34,000, which will also reduce the number of parking space available.

Tim De Latt, of Mott Mcdonald, the company brought in to assess the transport issues, said: “The car park will lose 20/30 spaces with the build so we’re looking into other ways we can provide transport to the stadium.

How the new Selhurst Park main stand will look

“On-street parking is a big issue for local residents already so we want to increase the public transport use to the stadium.

“In a recent survey we did of 2,000 fans, we found out 50 per cent of them came to the stadium by train or bus.

“We want to increase this by providing park and ride schemes and financial incentives for people to travel into local train stations [Norwood Junction, Thornton Heath and Selhurst].”

As part of the development, four houses in a road next to the stadium will have to be demolished while another would lose part of its garden, though planners said more would have been affected had the design been different.

View of the proposed development of Selhurst Park's new stand in the daytime (Image: CPFC)

Four of these properties on Wooderson Close are council run and one is privately owned.

Mr Raistrick said: “Croydon has a Labour council and if anyone is going to support the social tenants over redevelopment plans it’s going to be Labour.

“It’s a big issue at the moment with all that is going on in the news. Post-Grenfell councils have to place the safety and satisfaction of social tenants as a major priority.

“In this case, we have gone with the circular design to the front of the stand, not only because it looks striking, but because it will minimise the impact the build will have on the social housing.

A model of the Main Stand development plans (Image: Thomas Johnson)

“If it was straight, about ten houses will probably have had to be demolished.

“The tenants know we are not doing this to spite them, it is for the outcome on the borough and the council agree with us on this.

“They have promised to work with the displaced tenants to provide culpable housing for them.”

With the project going to the council’s planning committee on January 25, if all goes well the construction is expected to start in spring of this year.

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Estimated to take roughly three years, many people have been left wondering whether the capacity will decrease substantially during this time to let the work be completed.

The architects have combated this with a plan to keep the Main Stand functioning while the building work is taking place.

Mr Ritchie said: “It’s an interesting project building the stand while keeping it functioning. It’s only really made possible by the fact there is a huge car park behind it.

“We’re going to be building the new stand around the old stand and then piece them together so people will be able to still use it during the construction.”

A model of the pitch (Image: Thomas Johnson)

The plans seem to have won the backing of many Palace fans, however some don't feel the redevelopment goes far enough.

Robert Williams, a Palace fan since Malcolm Allison’s first run as manager in the early 70s, said: “So they’re making the Main Stand bigger but leaving all the other stands. They need to get the capacity up to 40,000 really.”

When this issue was put to Mr De Latt, he replied: “The fans are so excited about the developments they’re already asking what we’re going to do about the other stands.”